their hearts d. The smallest portion of it is a peculiar gift bestowed on very fe\ve; and one which neither men nor devils ever shall deprive them off. Yet God has not chosen them to enjoy a small portion of it, but " to be rich in it:" he would have them " strong in faith, not staggering at any promise^," but " living," both for temporal and spiritual things, altogether " by faith in the Son of God11," fully assured, that all things needful shall be supplied for their bodies', and that all things shall work together for the good of their soulsk.
The Levites were not suffered to have any inheritance among their brethren ; but the Lord their God was their in- heritance1. And this, so far from being a grievance to them, was deemed their highest privilege. Thus privileged are the poor : they have little of this world ; but, if they have God for their portion, they are the richest people upon earth.]
2. Their eternal inheritance —
[God has provided " a kingdom for them that love him :" a kingdom worthy to be possessed by those, whom God de- lights to honour. And it is his will that " the poor of this world" should not only aspire after it, but consider themselves as " heirs" to it. While they are destitute, perhaps, of food to eat, or of raiment to put on, he would have them like minors that are heirs to a large estate, who delight to survey the grounds which they are speedily to possess : he would have them survey all the glory of heaven, and say, " That is my patrimony : the instant I attain the age appointed by my Fa- ther's will, I shall have a host of angels sent to bear me on their wings to the mansions prepared for me."]
To vindicate the ways of God, we shall proceed to shew,
II. Why he has chosen this portion for them in par- ticular— That God has chosen this portion for the poor is beyond a doubt —
[If the Apostle had only affirmed it, no room would have been left for doubt ; but he ventured to appeal even to the rich themselves respecting it, and that too at the very time that he was reproving them for their contempt of the poor ; yea, he even grounded the reproof itself upon that very appeal. He could not possibly express more strongly his own persuasion
d Acts xv. 9. e Isai. liii. 1. John xii. 38. Rom. x. 16.
f John iv. 14. s Rom. iv. 20. >' Gal. ii. 20.
' Matt. vi. 33. k Rom. viii. 28.
1 Numb, xviii. 20. Josh. xiii. 33.
2363.] god's regard for the poor. 57
of the truth in question. But it is capable of abundant proof both from Scripture and experience. Who were the people that received the testimony of our blessed Lord ? " Did any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believe on himm?" Who constituted the great majority of the Church in the apostolic age ? St. Paul informs us ; " Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : but God hath chosen the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are11." And we might appeal to you at this day ; Who are they that crowd the churches where the Gospel is preached, notwithstanding they meet with the same contemptuous treatment that the Apostle so justly complains of°? Who are they that " receive the word with meekness, and have it engrafted" in their hearts, and exemplified in their lives ? are these the rich ? A few there may be ; but it is " to the poor chiefly that the Gospel is preached1'," and it is " the common people that hear it gladly q."]
Nor are we at a loss to assign reasons for this procedure —